A Study of Acts: The Death of Herod, the Church Grows
Acts 12:20-25 - Glorify God in everything that you do - fighting against Him often ends in tragedy and agony.
“Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country. On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!” And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.
But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.”
Acts 12:20-25 NASB1995
Herod Agrippa I was in Caesarea after the events described earlier in Acts 12 and, for some reason not described, was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. It seems like egotistical tyrants throughout history are always raging about someone or something, requiring appeasement from those who depend on that tyrant for their lives. Apparently, Judea had supplied food to these two coastal cities for a long period of time. The people of Tyre and Sidon come seeking peace and they have won over Blastus, King Herod’s chamberlain.
Herod put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them. I can imagine this was done with great pomposity and stentorian tones, impressing the people so much that they cry out “the voice of a god and not of a man!”. An angel of the Lord immediately struck Herod because he did not give God the glory and he was eaten by worms and died. Yikes! It’s ironic that this passage comes a day after Steve’s devotional on Psalm 139:19-22 about David asking God to strike our enemies. God deserves the glory, not any human leader or king.
Herod Agrippa I’s death sounds very painful. In this commentary from Enduring Word, we can read that the agony of his death was also observed by Josephus, a Jewish historian in those times:
The voice of a god and not of a man! It is in human nature to look for political deliverers and messiahs, and the people of Tyre and Sidon seemed to praise Herod as if he were a god. For his part, Herod enjoyed it, taking the glory unto himself (he did not give glory to God).
He was eaten by worms and died: The manner of Herod’s death was appropriate to his spiritual state; he was corrupted from the inside out. In writing to the Roman world, the ancient Jewish historian Josephus also described the death of Herod in gory detail.
“He put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture truly wonderful, and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time the silver of his garment, being illuminated by the fresh reflection of the sun’s rays upon it, shone out after a surprising manner, and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those that looked intently upon him; and presently his flatterers cried out, one from one place, and another from another (though not for his good), that he was a god…A severe pain also arose in his belly, and began in a most violent manner… when he had been quite worn out by the pain in his belly for five days, he departed this life.” (Antiquities, XIX.8.2)
So how do we give all of the glory to God? I like this answer from Gotquestions.org and may have used it before:
The concept of “glorifying” God is that of honoring God with one’s life. First Corinthians 10:31 teaches believers to honor the Lord in all they do: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” The context of this verse includes a discussion of the freedom believers have in Christ. We are free to make personal choices in life, but we are not to do anything that causes another person to “stumble” or sin in his own walk with God. We are to seek the good of others (1 Corinthians 10:32–33).
Further, believers may have the “right” to do anything, but not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). Paul used the illustration of eating meat that had been dedicated to idols. To him, such a dedication meant nothing since idols are not real gods. However, he would abstain from ever eating meat again for the good of others who might sin by following his example. Believers serve the Lord both through their personal lives and in their actions toward others.
To glorify God requires full commitment to Him. In Colossians 3:23 we read, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord.” The context includes Paul’s directions for Christian slaves working for human masters. Even in this role, their work was to be done as if they were serving Jesus (Colossians 3:24). To honor or glorify God in everything includes having a strong work ethic, even when we work for those we do not like or labor in difficult situations.
Glorifying God in everything means we honor Him in our thoughts and actions. Our thoughts are to be set on the things of God (Psalm 1) and the Word of God (Psalm 119:11). When we focus on God’s Word, we know what is right and can follow through with doing what is right.
Jesus always glorified His Father in heaven. There was never a moment when He did not glorify God. Our Lord’s every thought, word, and action was totally devoted to the glory of God. When Jesus faced the temptations of Satan (Matthew 4:1–11), Jesus quoted Scripture all three times. Jesus was a man of the Word, fully committed to God’s will, and His example in overcoming temptation offers hope to all of us who seek to stand firm during times of testing.
Another way we glorify God in everything we do is in the proper treatment of our bodies. In speaking of sexual immorality, 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 teaches, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
To glorify God in everything, we must exercise faith (Hebrews 11:6), love without hypocrisy (Romans 12:9), deny ourselves (Luke 9:23), be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), and offer ourselves as “living sacrifices” to God (Romans 12:1). Every area of life is important to evaluate and live to its fullest for the glory and honor of God. We should strive for every thought and deed to bring joy to our Father in heaven.
After Herod Agrippa I dies this agonizing and ignoble death (I really don’t want to dig into the medical scenarios where one is eaten by worms), the scene shifts at the end of Acts 12. Luke tells us that the church was growing and multiplying. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem where they had fulfilled a mission (relief ministry, according to commentary). So where did they return? As we will see in Acts 13, they are back in Antioch. They have brought John (Mark) with them as this next missionary journey begins. In spite of the martyrdom of James and the fear that the arrest of Peter could create, the believers know that God is with them and they should not fear. Fighting God is never a good idea (I should know, having fought Him for part of my life). This last commentary from Enduring Word is quite good about how some irreverent figures from history have fought against God but succumbed in tragic ways:
But the word of God grew and multiplied: The contrast between Herod and the church was clear. Herod believed he had the upper hand against God’s people, but God showed who was really in charge – Herod was judged, and the church was blessed.
Herod fought against God. He killed James but didn’t defeat God’s plan. He arrested Peter, but the earnestly praying church saw God rescue Peter and the apostle’s work continue.
History is filled with the stories of men who thought they could fight God and succeed; their ruined lives are evidence that it can’t be done. Friedrich Nietsche was the philosopher who coined the idea that God was dead, and that Christianity was a despised religion of weaklings. Fighting God drove him insane, and he spent the last several years of his life in that condition. Sinclair Lewis won the Nobel Prize for literature, and fought against God in his book Elmer Gantry. The book was about an evangelist who was also an alcoholic and would sleep with any woman he could. Sinclair Lewis died a hopeless alcoholic in a clinic near Rome. Writer Ernest Hemingway lived his life of adventure and sin against God seemingly without consequences – until he shot himself in the head with a shotgun. Fighting against God just doesn’t work.
My next devotional examines Acts 13:1-3, where the first missionary journey of Saul (Paul) begins.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Today I pray the words of the hymn “O Where are The Kings and Empires Now?” written by A. Cleveland Coxe in 1839 and suggested by Precept Austin for this passage in Acts:
1 O where are kings and empires now
Of old that went and came?
But, Lord, your Church is praying yet,
A thousand years the same.
2 We mark her goodly battlements
And her foundations strong;
We hear within the solemn voice
Of her unending song.
3 For not like kingdoms of the world
Your holy Church, O God,
Though earthquake shocks are threatening her,
And tempests are abroad,
4 Unshaken as eternal hills,
Immovable she stands,
A mountain that shall fill the earth,
A house not made by hands.
Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word by David Guzik is used with written permission.
Gotquestions.org was accessed on 10/25/2024 to answer the question, “How do I glorify God?”
Precept Austin was accessed on 10/25/2024 to review commentary for Acts 12:20-25.